Assistant Operations Manager, Warehouse & Distribution

Lifelong is a community health organization on a mission to make health and food accessible. We remove barriers to health with relentless compassion so that no one faces illness and injustice alone.

We lead with heart. Our respect for people drives our mission. For 40 years, Lifelong has fought health inequities so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Our comprehensive services include food and nutrition, healthcare navigation, aging and disability support, and connection to housing and other vital resources.

Position Overview:

Chicken Soup Brigade (CSB) is Lifelong’s food and nutrition program, providing medically tailored meals, culturally relevant groceries, and nutritional counseling & education to community members facing illness and injustice. The Assistant Operations Manager, Warehouse & Distribution plays a critical leadership role within the organization, overseeing Chicken Soup Brigade warehouse and distribution operations. This position leads a team responsible for procurement, inventory control, food safety, quality assurance, logistics, and delivery coordination.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, hands-on leader who is passionate about advancing Lifelong’s mission. This role requires strong operational oversight, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration, as well as responsibility for compliance, reporting, and partner engagement.

This regular, full-time, non-exempt, non-union role is based in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle, with onsite presence required 08:30AM – 5PM Monday - Friday. 

Essential Duties:

Organizational Leadership:

• Participate in leadership development initiatives and promote Lifelong’s mission, vision, and values. 
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion by modeling inclusive behaviors and addressing bias proactively. 
• Actively engage in team meetings, training, and organizational events. 
• Represent Lifelong in national and local coalitions including the national Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC) workgroups, and the Seattle food Committee. 
• In the event of an emergency, serve as a contact for programmatic issues during off-hours. 

Staff & Volunteer Supervision:

• Supervise hourly staff and volunteers, including hiring, onboarding, development, and retention in partnership with Human Resources. 
• Workforce planning to meet operational demands. 
• Schedule employees’ shifts and manage time off requests.
• Provide coaching, performance management, and annual evaluations. 
• Create and implement operational guidelines for the Warehouse & Distribution, including hiring, training, and managing new employees.
• Foster a positive, inclusive team culture that promotes accountability, engagement, and collaboration. 
• Ensure adherence to policies and procedures, address conflicts, and resolve client concerns in a timely manner. 

Warehouse & Distribution Management:

• Oversee weekly distribution of meals, groceries and other services to clients.  
• Work with client services to ensure all routes are delivered in a timely manner.
• Oversee route management with care to number of clients/routes, days of service, geography, holidays, and weather. Assess routes for efficiency, food safety, timeliness, and client needs. 
• Monitor expenses on a weekly and monthly basis to ensure costs are within budget.
• Establish and nurture vendor relationships to ensure proper products are delivered to meet our nutritional standards, contract requirements, and client needs. 
• Partner with nutrition team to ensure groceries meet nutritional standards. 
• Ensure contract compliance for the groceries, distribution, and meal related contracts.  
• Oversees Warehouse safety, cleanliness, and organization. 
• Serves as the lead facilities liaison for operations ensuring that needs are properly prioritized and addressed regarding clients, staff safety, and programmatic objectives.
• Review client complaints, create remediation plans, and make improvements as necessary to increase client satisfaction.

Safety Management & Compliance 

• Oversee storage and processing of all food products in accordance with health and safety guidelines.
• Safeguard warehouse operations and contents by establishing and monitoring security procedures and protocols. 
• Create, maintain, and oversee temperature logs for warehouse freezers and refrigerators.
• Partner with Lifelong Facilities department and Lifelong Safety Committee to ensure safety of Food and Nutrition operations. 
• Comply with federal, state, and local regulations to ensure the wellbeing of staff, volunteers, and clients.
• Ensure employees and volunteers have adequate training in food handling procedures and that all food safety requirements are adhered to.
• In the event of an emergency, serve as a contact for programmatic issues during off-hours. 

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrated strong supervisory and leadership skills.
• Proven excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• Demonstrates outstanding interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Demonstrated strong organizational skills and careful attention to detail.
• Experience understanding contracts and managing different programs simultaneously, including the creation of plans, procurement, budget control, inventory management, and cost tracking while delivering exceptional customer service.
• Proven excellent time management skills with the ability to consistently meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment, exercising crisis management and de-escalation skills. 
• Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability.
• Proven clear understanding of professional boundaries.
• Well-developed ability to build strong working relationships with internal and external providers and partner agencies.
• Familiarity with individuals who experience health disparities, including complex chronic health conditions, behavioral health barriers, chemical dependency, poverty, and stigma-induced isolation a plus. 
• Comfort in working with individuals along the entire continuum of diversity, including but not limited to varying abilities, race, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, or combination of related education and work experience.
• 3 years working in a Warehouse & Distribution environment. 
• Experience working in a high-volume production environment is preferred. 
• Proven experience leading in environments with culturally diverse populations.
• Current Food Safety Manager accreditation or ability to become certified within 90 days of hire.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, train and coordinate volunteers and staff.
• Able to organize, prioritize multiple projects and meet deadlines in a time-sensitive environment.
• Experience with project planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively under stressful conditions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and walk up one flight of stairs.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License and a good driving record.
• Experience driving and/or maintaining large vehicles including cargo vans and box trucks is a plus.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Generous vacation (3 weeks your first year), sick leave, and 2 personal days a year
• 401(k) match
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life insurance options
• Long term disability
• Mass transit subsidy
• 15 paid holidays per year

Work Environment:

• All positions that involve in person work with clients are required to undergo a TB test within 30 days of starting employment and annually, or as required by program.
• Any offer of employment is contingent upon passing a criminal background check. Some programs may require additional background checks or frequency.
• This position requires prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. The role may also involve frequent standing, walking, bending, and reaching. Employees must be able to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds to move office supplies or equipment. Depending on organizational needs, work may be performed in office, kitchen, or warehouse settings and may at times involve exposure to outdoor weather conditions or loud noises.

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About Lifelong:

Lifelong is a community health organization committed to removing barriers to health with relentless compassion so that no one faces illness and injustice alone.

We lead with heart. Our respect for people drives our mission. For 40 years, Lifelong has fought health inequities so that everyone can have the opportunity to thrive. Our comprehensive services include food and nutrition, healthcare navigation, aging and disability support, and connection to housing and other vital resources.

We are looking for passionate, dedicated people to join our talented team and make real, meaningful changes in the daily lives of those living with chronic and life-threatening illnesses in their community. 

Lifelong offers exceptional benefits, including paid time off, medical and dental coverage in addition to balanced work-life integration.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Lifelong, we are dedicated to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

EEO Statement:

Lifelong is committed to creating an accessible, supportive environment and experience that recognizes diversity and cultural competence as integral components of what we do.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and as such, we do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

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DISCLAIMER: INTENT AND FUNCTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Job descriptions are not intended as and do not create employment contracts. The organization maintains its status as an at-will employer. Employees can be terminated for any reason not prohibited by law.

Job descriptions assist organizations in ensuring that the hiring process is fairly administered and that qualified employees are selected. They are an integral part of a compensation system, effective performance review system, related promotion, transfer, layoff, etc. decisions. 

All descriptions have been reviewed to illustrate the job functions and basic duties, in addition to peripheral tasks or that could generally be considered as other duties as assigned.

In no instance, however, should the duties, responsibilities and requirements be interpreted as all-inclusive. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. Requirements, skills and abilities included have been determined to illustrate the minimal standards required to successfully perform the positions.

Salary : $29 - $38